Kendrapara, Jan. 20 -- Bhitarkanika National Park recorded a marginal rise in the number of birds this year compared to last year's Mid-Winter Waterfowl Status Survey.
However, the number of bird species visiting the park this winter was lower than last year, according to Vardaraj Gaonkar, DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and Wildlife Division.
An estimated 1,148 more birds arrived at the park this season, bringing the total to 1,52,762 avian guests, compared to 1,51,614 reported during last year's census. Despite this increase in numbers, only 106 bird species were recorded, down from 118 species last year.
The survey highlighted that geese and ducks were the most numerous, with 93,821 individuals across 14 species, followed by gulls, te...